You're not going to leave again, are you?
by onwards.to.delusion
Summary: It's 2008, and the recession has hit America hard - harder than anyone thought it would. When he mysteriously misses a World Meeting, England travels to his former colony's home to find out exactly what's up. He's surprised at what he finds. Brotherly USUK. Warning: Death by fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**2008**

America seemed… different. He had for a while, ever since his economy began to dip. Up until now, it had been pretty subtle; faint circles under his eyes, blond hair unkempt, occasionally losing his train of thought. Britain thought nothing of it.

_Alfred's probably just tired, _Britain mused at the last World Meeting. _He's been pretty busy._

In April, however, the changes began to be more noticeable. Alfred stopped going out, opting to stay at home in his leisure time. When he did venture out, though, he seemed exhausted and lethargic - not at all like the boisterous America that Britain had always known. Furthermore, Alfred developed chronic headaches. He didn't admit to it, of course, but Britain could tell when his little brother was in pain.

America didn't think of England as his brother anymore, not since _that day. _Arthur wondered if America even thought of him as a friend these days. Nevertheless, it was England who had raised America from the earliest days of his childhood, and old habits die hard. He couldn't help but worry the slightest bit about his former charge. In spite of this, England kept his anxiety to himself out of respect for the world power.

Soon enough, it was time for the next World Meeting, hosted in Washington. Arthur was nervous, if only to see how America was doing. Unfortunately, he never got that chance.

"Où est Amérique?" France murmured as he settled next to England at the large table. England was wondering the same thing.

"I don't know, frog. I just don't know." Usually England would yell at France for speaking to him in French, but the situation didn't allow for that.

"Surely, he would not miss a World Meeting, especially _chez lui_!"

"I agree, he has never been absent before. Maybe he's just running late," Arthur suggested hopefully, though the look on his face betrayed other emotions.

"Oui, j'espère, mon cher Angleterre," France said. Realizing his unintentional rhyme, he chuckled.

"Francis, this isn't the time," growled Germany from his other side.

Besides a brief buzz about America's absence, the meeting went pretty uneventfully. Quietly, even, without the nation's ambitious (yet ineffective) schemes to end the world's problems.

After the meeting concluded, Arthur called Alfred.

"_Hey, this is the Hero! I can't come to the phone right now, I'm probably saving the entire world from aliens or something, but leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"_

Britain took a deep breath before starting. "America, are you alright? You weren't at the meeting. Please call me back."

An hour later, he tried again after receiving no answer from Alfred. America always returned phone calls promptly.

"_Hey, this is the Hero! I can't -"_ England hung up. Something was wrong. Worse than he originally thought. Arthur flagged the nearest taxi cab as fast as he could, and almost tripped in his hurry to get in.

When England arrived at America's house, he noticed that all of the lights were off. _How strange,_ England thought, _He's usually up all night. He's never asleep at this hour! _It was 6:00 pm.

England cautiously approached the door. _Locked,_ he realized. America had been paranoid about the security of his house after the terrorist attack in 2001. Fortunately, England knew where Alfred kept the spare key. He lifted the loose shingle from the wall of the house, took the keys off of the mounted hook, and opened the door.

"America? Are you home?" No answer.

At first it seemed quiet in America's house, but as Arthur listened closer, he heard a soft noise coming from upstairs.

England ascended the stairs as quietly as possible (the eighth one squeaked, it always had), and turned towards America's room. He inhaled and eased open the door.

"America?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading this fanfiction. I've been so surprised and grateful for the views that it's gotten so far! I know that there are things that I can improve on in my writing, but the fact that this story is enjoyable to you nonetheless means a ton. 3**

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"America?"

England peered into the bedroom. America was laying on the wooden bed, seemingly asleep. England would not describe him as comfortable. Alfred's eyes were screwed shut, and his breathing was heavy and labored. Overall, the younger nation looked much sicker than Britain had previously thought.

_I guess the recession hit him pretty hard, _mused England. He really couldn't blame Alfred for missing the World Meeting. America seemed miserable.

Cautiously, England made his way over to his sleeping brother. _I don't know what I should do,_ he fretted. He didn't know how America would receive his trespasses, whatever the intention. Their relationship wasn't exactly chummy at the moment.

Sighing, England sat down on the bed. It was the first time he had been in proximity to his brother like this in centuries. He missed it. Nowadays the two countries' relationship was chilly at best. Most of their conversations brought on a petty argument of some sort. Suddenly, America inhaled sharply. Britain began to rub his back, trying to release some of the tension in the sick nation's chest. He was surprised at just how much heat emanated from the country's body. He must have a very high fever.

America began to stir. _Shoot,_ England thought, _what if he doesn't want me here? _Alfred turned his head to look at his brother.

"England?" he asked weakly, "What are you doing here?" Arthur breathed a sigh of relief. The blonde nation didn't seem upset about England's presence. Britain jumped as Alfred went into a coughing fit.

"Shh, love," England chided, massaging America's back. _Love. _England hadn't called America that since the Revolution. Bittersweet memories tugged at his throat. "Just sleep."

"Wh-what's going on?" America responded as the attack subsided. He sounded distressed now. Was he sick enough to be delirious?

"You're sick," Arthur reminded him, "Your economy's in recession." To his surprise, England saw the glisten of tears enter America's eyes.

"Right... the recession," Alfred paused, choking back a sob. "England - I don't know what I'm going to do."

The country was full on crying now. England pulled America into a closer embrace, trying his best to comfort his sick brother. Alfred hiccoughed before continuing.

"My people - they're suffering and I have no idea about what I can do to make it better," he whispered. "How can I be a hero if I can't keep my country afloat?"

"America..." Britain murmured, "you don't have to be infallible to be a hero. Every hero's journey has its ups and downs. Sometimes, all it takes is knowing that things will get better, no matter who or what's against you." England thought about a time, long ago, when America had taken that to heart. It had earned him his freedom.

"I guess," said Alfred, still in tears. A worried expression passed across the younger nation's face, and he shifted to look at his brother. "England?"

"Yes Alfred?" prompted Arthur.

"You're not going to leave again, are you?" Surprised, England pressed a gentle kiss to his little brother's forehead. Was it wrong for him to enjoy his former charge's temporary dependence on him? He pushed away the thought.

"America, I'll never leave you when you need me," he responded. Sighing, Alfred closed his eyes.

Their conversation over, England took a look around the room. He was shocked to see that little had changed from when America was a little colony. The walls were the same pastel striped pattern (a bit young for him, England thought), the bed was an exact replica of the one he slept in as a child - but what surprised Britain the most was the regiment of toy soldiers that stood in the corner, the very same ones that England had meticulously painted all those years ago. A singular tear rolled down his face.

Britain snuggled himself further into the bed, being careful not to wake America. As the night grew deeper, the two fell asleep, with the younger still in his brother's arms.

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**Oh man, the feels. Not sure if I should leave it here, or if I should add an epilogue. Leave your opinion in your review! Thanks again to all of you guys for following and favoriting. It means a lot to me, especially considering this is my first fanfic. **


	3. Epilogue

**Due to popular demand, here's the epilogue. Hope you guys enjoy!**

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England heard thumping coming from the stairwell. _America's making his entrance. Dramatic as always._

"Morning England!" America exclaimed, stretching as he entered the kitchen. Arthur was standing at the stove, poking something in a pan.

"You sound better," Britain commented. It was true. The nation had made great progress over the past couple of weeks. He still wasn't in top shape, but England was confident that his brother would make a full recovery.

"What's for breakfast?" Alfred asked, somewhat hesitantly.

"Bacon…"

"Good."

"Eggs," England continued. Alfred tensed, waiting for the final menu item.

"Perfect."

"And scones," Britain finished. America groaned, disappointed.

"You were doing so well, England! Why did you ruin it?" America scoffed.

"It's not my fault that you have terrible taste!" said England in mock-anger.

Alfred laughed. "Well it's not my fault that you can't cook!"

When breakfast was ready, the two sat down at the dining table. America took a heaping plate of bacon and eggs (blatantly passing over the scones), while England took more modest portions.

"There's another World Meeting coming up in a couple weeks," America said. "I think I'm going to go. I've been feeling much better lately."

"I think you should. It's a good idea to get back into things. Matthew can't cover for you forever," England added. Canada had taken over for Alfred while he was sick, with the permission of their bosses, of course. Now that things were looking up, America could start taking back some of his responsibilities.

"Thanks England. You know, if you want to go back to your house now, I'd be OK with that," America said.

"Why? Have I been annoying you?" England joked.

"No, you haven't. I just know how it is - you can't stay away from your country for too long. You have business to take care of. I just wanted you to know that I'm not keeping you here against your will," America looked down at his plate.

"Are you sure you can manage by yourself?" Arthur asked. He knew he had to return home at some point, but truthfully, he wasn't ready to at this point. He didn't yet want to give up the closeness that he had dearly missed having with his brother.

It was evident that Alfred felt the same way. "I mean, if you want to stay another week or something… I'd be fine with that."

"It's settled then!" England exclaimed. Suddenly, America got up and pulled Britain into a tight hug.

"Thank you for being there for me."

"Think nothing of it. You're my brother, and I wouldn't leave you alone if you needed me."

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**A final thank you to my readers for being this amazing. I would never have thought that my first fanfiction here would be this successful (250+ visitors in two days O.O). Though this story is done, I still appreciate any criticism/comments that you can give!**


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